I heard about this movie last month on Jeff Alworth’s Beervana blog and I finally got around to renting it on iTunes and giving it a watch.
Thumbs are up on this one. It is a journey following the filmmaker as he immerses himself in British tickerdom (much different than the American version) and if that person is annoying or weird then the whole enterprise can fall apart. But Phil Parkin is engaging throughout and fond of the people while touching on beer topics too. Tickers have a bad name in the U.S. because of a feeling that their is a lack of appreciation but the main tickers in this movie all truly appreciate real ale. And they seem to be fully aware of appreciation vs obsession. That doesn’t make them any less weird or annoying at times but they are characters destined for movies in a way.
What I especially liked the side trips interspersed into the documentary. The interviews/talks with Pete Brown and Melissa Cole were too short but were great. And the Thornbidge Jaipur brew day was great. All in all, it is a peek into the British ale culture that I know very little about. The best part it that it is also a wonderful way to see the inside of British pubs that I may not visit. And to see some great tap clips that made me very thirsty.
SO, set aside the ticking debate. Enjoy the community and learn about Sheffield, the U.K. and beer.